Comparison of RT-PCR and CT Scan in Terms of Their Diagnostic Performance for Coronavirus 2019 in Yazd, Iran

Due to the importance of the rapid diagnosis of SARS-COV-2, many studies have been performed on various diagnostic methods. In this vein, the aim of this study is to compare the diagnostic value of chest CT with RT-PCR in patients with suspected COVID-19.

This cross-sectional research was conducted at Shahid Sadoughi Hospital in Yazd. A total of 531 patients were randomly referred to the CT scan department for chest imaging (spiral or HRCT).Based on the PCR findings, they were divided into: positive and negative PCR groups. The CT scan findings were then recorded in a data collection form. Finally, the CT scan results of the two groups were compared.

In this study, 531 patients (306 males and 225 females with the mean age of 55.14 ± 19.7) were examined. The findings of reverse hallo (P = 0.000) and strict consolidation (P= 0.001) in CT scan were significantly different for the positive and negative PCR groups. Through the comparative analysis of the results, the sensitivity of CT scan and PCR findings emerged to be 97.42 and 55.75, respectively. However, the specificity of both diagnostic methods was 100%.

The results of this study show that, owing to the higher sensitivity of chest CT for the diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia, performing CT scan for quick diagnosis is recommended for COVID suspected people with negative RT-PCR test results.